Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has reportedly said he is not ready to give up power and the issue is not up for discussion at the Geneva peace talks next week.
Assad said that they would have surrendered from the beginning of the nation's civil war, if ever they wanted to, but they are on guard for their country, Sky News reports.
The president made the comments to Russian MPs ahead of an internationally backed peace conference on Syria, the report added.
Meanwhile, the Syrian National Coalition (SNC) has voted in favour of attending the talks, which are due to begin on Wednesday next week, aimed at ending the conflict.